What If
by Mr. Dreamer
Summary: An alternate to The Guardian's capture near the end of Season 3


Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction based off of the TV show "The Tribe". "The Tribe" is the property of Cloud 9

What if:

What if Mr. Dreamer had written The Guardian's re-capture

(Writers Note: This happened as Season 3 was winding down after Ebony had helped The Guardian Escaped and she had hired Duff, on Moz's recommendations, to kill him.)

Ebony knew that there was a chance Duff would fail to kill the Guardian. There was Pride, Bray and others who wanted to take him alive. Bray was proving to be the greatest hassle. He was just too damned moral, it was a miracle he lived this long.

But if the Guardian lived there was a chance that he would rat her out and tells them that she helped the Guardian escape. That made her party to murder. And even though she was leader there would still be a whole city of people looking to have her fitted for a rope.

And then there was the fact that she had hired Duff to kill The Guardian. If he failed there was a chance that he would tell them that she hired him to kill the guardian. That would not look good as well. So if he failed, even if he succeeded there was a chance he would still tell.

Damned it, it seemed to Ebony that she was digger herself deeper into a very unpleasant hole. She paid a ridiculous amount of money to Duff and Luke said any more money on the street would devalue it. Which meant her next purchase would have to be a good one.

This is why she was sitting across the table from an unimposing little man who seemed to have Parkinson's Disease. The teacup in his hand rattled to rest as he sat it down after taking a sip. "You want me to get you out of trouble, yes?"

"For all you know, I'm here to have you arrested for murder." Ebony said, a little taken aback that those were the first words spoken in this meeting.

The man clasped his hands together, "I have a feeling you value your life more than that."

"Yes, I need you to get me out of a small bit of trouble." Ebony admitted. The people she was dealing with had a tendency to kill everything in sight if sat up. So far as she knew it hadn't happened yet, but they have promised it and with the Vipers a promise was as good as etched in stone.

Vipers, talk about the name fitting the people. When it absolutely, positively had to be deader than hell you called a Viper. Their price was steep, but their results were always guaranteed. The shaky man across the table from her was Snake Eater. An old adage for CIA field operatives. He was smart enough to be in it, but since there was no CIA anymore, and the man had a nerve disorder that gave him the shakes he resides himself to gardening a small patch of land outside the city and raising rabbits.

There was Cobra, a man who uses poison to kill. He can mix in, look like he belongs and then while your not looking, slip cyanide in your tea. If you had a taster, he'd use a slower action poison. He's the killer you never see.

Another one was Constrictor. He preferred strangulation. Rope, strips of cloth, piano wire. Of all the people who could be sent to kill her, this was one of the Vipers Ebony didn't want sent after her.

Copperhead, he was an explosives man. He was heavy into collateral damage. It was said The Guardian himself tried to hire him to make a bomb. But he couldn't make the fee, so he was told what he could do with his bomb.

Asp, Cottonmouth, Adder, Snake Charmer, and Snakebite, They delivered death from afar. They were snipers. They blend into the background, hide there, and with a pull of a trigger can send you strait to hell at their discretion.

But perhaps the scariest one was the American standing right behind Snake Eater. He was known as Diamondback. This was the other Viper she didn't want going after her if they decided she was worth killing. The tall man was a notorious for making a mess of the scenes. And he does it intentionally. His preferred weapons are knives, pistols, and shotguns. His targets always know he's there, they were always powerless to stop him, and having him there with Snake Eater was a loud a warning as his namesake.

"And what is this problem?" Snake Eater asked.

Ebony braced herself, she prepared how to say it. She reached beside her and placed a cloth bag on the table. Inside came a metallic clattering sound. Snake Eater motioned to Diamondback who picked the bag up and looked in. The silent American pulled a coin out and presented it to Snake Eater

"You do know the consequences for passing us counterfeit currency." Snake Eater warned.

Ebony sounded defensive, "Threats are not necessary."

"Given your reputation Ebony," Snake Eater said, "You should be grateful that I even showed up at all. Now shall we dispense with this? Who are we to kill?"

"The Guardian."

"An easy enough job," Snake Eater said, "From what I've heard all I have to do is walk up to his cage, ask him what two plus two is, step back, and watch his head explode."

"It turns out he was faking the mental illness so they wouldn't try him. And he has recently escaped. I know where they're going to get him tomorrow, and I have Duff on the case. But I want to make sure that the job gets done."

"Duff. Over priced, but he does manage to get around." Snake Eater said.

"Yeah, be that as it may, if he fails…"

"He becomes a liability," Snake Eater interjected, "I understand. If he fails we will handle the situation for you."

"Excellent." Ebony said. She could feel her burden lifting already.

"How do you plan to cover the our finances for his elimination?" Snake Eater asked.

"It should be covered in the bag." Ebony said with a smile.

"No," Snake Eater said, "That is for the Guardian. Duff is a different price all together."

"You can have what I gave him."

Snake Eater motioned to Diamondback who leaned in. The two of them were having a whispered conference that ended with Diamondback nodding. "We will add a stipulation to this. If we cannot find what you gave Duff, you will pay us his fee."

"Agreed." Ebony said. She wouldn't have been this agreeable, but she was desperate. If taken alive the Guardian would definitely tell Amber, Bray, and who knows else that she supplied the Guardian with that crowbar to aid in his escape.

"The Guardian will die soon. Keep your ear to the ground to find out how." Snake eater said as he grabbed his cane with a shaky hand. "Adieu."

As they walked out the door Snake Eater looked behind him to see if they were being followed, which they were not. "Cobra's information was right. Ebony did help the Guardian escape. Else she would not have been so agreeable."

Diamondback nodded. "True. I am surprised that she didn't try and get it for free by sleeping with you."

"They say you sleep with every one your partner has slept with. If that is the case, then my bed is not big enough for a platoon. That is why it would not have worked."

"So tonight we plan." Diamond back said.

Snake Eater nodded "Yes, and I hope the Guardian has a nice breakfast tomorrow for he has lunch date in Hell."

It was the day. Diamondback was the mole. He was to signal Copperhead who was to signal the sniper team. Diamond back was wrapped up in bandages He was working on a story as to why, and being a burn victim sounded the best. His walk became more of a lurch.

Duff was already there, and he had already given Lex some line as to why he's there. So his breath became a little labored. And he hunched over. He walked over beside Lex, still breathing in a half hiss.

Lex heard this sound from behind him. Behind him was someone wearing a black leather golf cap, a black leather trench coat and wrapped up like the mummy. Lex jumped a little at the sight of his creature. "What the Hell are you?"

Diamondback reared back a little. "I am Lurch," he hissed, "A lowly traveler on my way through the world."

"Yeah, well, keep traveling." Lex said, slightly creeped out by the strange looking stranger.

"May I inquire as to why you watch a field?" Diamond back hissed looking out at the grassy field, "Mayhap you watch the grass grow?" he then let out a silent chuckle.

"No, we're waiting for someone," Lex said, "Now scram."

"Oh, such a harsh tone you take with me. Perhaps I will continue on my way through that field, Past that lovely lady waiting in the clearing," he gestured to Tai-San, "and give you away, yes?"

"No, wait," Pride said. "We're waiting for the Guardian. You're welcome to stay if you promise to stay out of the way."

"Oh, The Guardian," hissed Diamondback, "You are a lynching mob? Like in the westerns no?"

"No, we're here to bring him to justice." Pride informed the visitor who claimed to be a traveler.

"Oh, I see. You wish to hang him legally."

"That's for the courts to decide." Pride said.

'Fat chance of that happening.' Diamondback thought. He knew it was Amber who was the magistrate of the city. She was way to far-left leaning to hang a man. Hell, she would have just given Hitler his own cage instead of a nice well-oiled hemp rope and a decent hanging.

Diamondback waited there with the deputized law officers and Duff. It wasn't long before The Guardian showed up. Lex was about to give the signal when Duff rushed the Guardian. Diamondback lurched out as he watched the Guardian with a good lead make a break for the hills and for freedom and a hired assassin trying to salvage his already botched job hot on his heels.

They made it to a river where Duff was about to save his reputation when Bray stopped him. Duff failed. He was now the liability Ebony didn't want. Diamond back took a compact Mirror and using the sun's rays signaled into the woods where Copperhead lay.

Copperhead saw the signal and waited for every one, to be out of sight before firing off the prearranged signal. It was a blue firework, one of those industrial sized fireworks. It flew high and made a big bang. The others stopped thinking it might be a Chosen trap. But when no one came Diamondback offered up "Perhaps someone found some fireworks?"

"You're right Lurch, maybe they did. But we should be ready for an ambush just in case." Pride said. Before every one else moved on.

The Snipers were in position when the signal was given. Every man had a different rifle. Three of them had bolt action rifles. A Tactical-Ops Tango-51, a Remington Model 700, and a Robar SR-60. The other two snipers had M-21 rifles. There was no standard, the rifle just had to accept 7.62 NATO rounds, all the rounds were match grade, semi jacketed, and boat-tailed. And the rifle had to have a sound suppressor. Factory made, or home made, it just had to make the rifle sound like something other than a rifle.

In the days before the virus this strike would be coordinated through a radio. But this time things had to be done a little more creatively. It was no question as to whom they were to shoot. The Guardian always made a target of himself. The way he dressed was always a dead giveaway.

Next he was to cross a marker. They were to count down from five then to make the Guardian a dead man. The trick was not to hit anyone they didn't want to. That would make small things like escape difficult. Putting down the Guardian was like shooting a rabid dog. It was something that needed to be done.

But if they hit someone who wasn't the Guardian that would get them the label psychotic and they would be hounded to the ends of the Earth. They weren't psychotic. They were professional, and this job would be another page in their book proving it.

They saw a group walking down the road. They had the Guardian with them. And Diamondback was bringing up the rear right behind Duff. Five sets of crosshairs, all over the road, all trained on the leader of the Chosen, no more than fifty feet from them. On the man who had held a whole city hostage. The man who was trying to bring the good word of Zoot. The man they were being paid a large sum to kill.

They passed the predetermined marker.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

"Everyone look out!" Diamondback yelled.

While every one was ready for an ambush these were not seasoned warriors, this was a ragtag posse that passed for Law Enforcement. Every one dropped to the ground, except for the Guardian, who turned around to see what was going on as the others hit the floor.

Five shots were never heard. Three rounds hit the Guardian in the head. Taking it off in a spray of brain and blood. Two more rounds slammed into his chest and back. The Guardian started this last trip walking into town a madman. He was going to end it being carried into town a dead man.

Diamondback was the only other man who didn't hit the deck. Instead, while every one else went for cover, he drew his Heckler & Kock SOCOM pistol with a sound suppressor attached to it and shot Duff three times in the back with it. Phunt, Phunt, Phunt. And Duff was no longer a liability

He was looking to see if the job was done when he saw Pride looking at him from over the dead body of the Guardian. Diamondback wasn't sticking around to get nailed to the trees for shooting someone, who had it coming, so he ran. And Pride was right on his heels.

Diamondback was willing to bet that Pride would catch him eventually. So ever with a trick up his sleeve he holstered his pistol and pulled out a cardboard tube with a pin attached to it. He pulled the pin and cast the tube behind him. After the loud bang he jumped and spun around to see if the flash bang was effective. It was. Pride and two others were disoriented long enough for Diamondback to run into the woods to vanish.

Diamondback was enough of a distraction for the sniper team to vanish. The job was successful. The Guardian was dead, Duff was no longer a liability for Ebony, and the Vipers not only managed to kill the Guardian but they had a bargaining chip against Ebony if she ever got uppity with the them. But that was a card they wished to keep close to their chest


End file.
